‘Cigar Marine’ Runs for Congress

Cigars have figured prominently in American politics, from the images of cigar-puffing presidents like Ulysses S. Grant to the famous quip made by Woodrow Wilson’s vice-president, Thomas Marshall, "What this country needs is a good five-cent cigar." Will Californians add to that legacy by electing the "Cigar Marine" to Congress? Nick Popaditch is running for the U.S. House as a representative from California’s 53rd Congressional District as a Republican. In 2010, he lost a similar bid in the 51st District to Democrat Bob Filner.

The now medically retired Leatherneck became famous as the Cigar Marine because of an iconic photo shot by Associated Press photographer Laurent Rebours during the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The image taken April 9, 2003, showed Gunnery Sergeant Popaditch in the hatch of a tank, smoking a victory cigar in Baghdad with the statue of Saddam Hussein in the background. The photo appeared in newspapers across America, and Popaditch was dubbed the "Cigar Marine,"

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A year later he suffered a severe head wound when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his tank in Fallujah, costing him one eye and most of the vision in the other. He authored an inspirational story of his experiences in Iraq and the fight to overcome his physical injuries, Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery. The Website for Once a Marine is part of the Weider History network.

Quadunit404, I have to disagree.If you compress everything together, then you get clsrdetet-nesu. This was definitely something apparent with the old player, which is no longer the case.Besides, the new player is lighter on the CPU usage. :D

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Armchair General is the INTERACTIVE history magazine where YOU COMMAND and decide the course of action!

Every issue brings you articles on military history, analysis of current military and political events, and stories of real heroes among us today. Our authors include leading historians and analysts who lend integrity and credibility to this fresh presentation of historical and contemporary events. PLUS each issue contains unique interactive articles based on actual historical events in which YOU are the commander who must choose the best course of action for victory!